Come Back
by AisonX
Summary: "Percy... Percy was... well, he was a great friend. Smart, Loyal, Brave. He was probably the bravest friend I've ever had." / The famous page 203 of The Battle of the Labyrinth - Annabeth's Point of View. Percabeth - One-shot x


Annabeth's point of view – The Battle of the Labyrinth

The Famous Page 203

We crouched there, staring at the exit where the sea demons were slowly advancing towards. My hand twitched uncomfortably as I heard them bang on the doors, screeching and snarling. How we were going to survive this, I didn't know.

"They were practicing dark magic." I muttered to Percy, quietly, so that the sea demons didn't hear me. I doubt even Percy heard me, until he made a weird noise and opened his mouth.

"With Kronos." He added, agreeing. I nodded slowly, shifting slightly, and froze as the door creaked.

Glancing at Percy, I prayed that some of my brains could be transferred to his seaweed head. I had a battle plan. We could go off towards that small path and-

No. Even just by thinking, I knew it was an empty and most definitely unsuccessful plan. The sea demons were too near, and the door couldn't hold for that long. And second now, they could come through.

"We have to get out-" I started, but obviously with my demigod luck I was too late. The door burst open and the Telekhines tumbled in, tripping over each other and sprawling on the floor. Then they saw us and hissed.

Oh, Styx.

"Put your cap back on." Percy was saying over the noise emitting from the monsters. "Get out!"

"What? No!" I shrieked, so loud some Telekhines tumbled to the floor. I stood there, trying to comprehend the words. He was telling me to go. That was what he was saying. _Go. _His eyes begged me with a desperation that I was currently feeling.

Oh gods. No way. No way in _Hades_ was I going to leave him in here, alone.

_Listen to him! Get out_! The logical side of my brain was shrieking at me. _Get to safety!_

_No._

"I'm not leaving you!" I declared in a scream. _I am _not _leaving._

Percy shook his head. "I've got a plan." he told me. "I'll distract them. You can use the metal spider – maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on."

Gods. He was crazy.

"But you'll be killed!" I tried to state in a calm voice, but it came out in a panicked shriek instead. _He'll be killed. Percy will be killed. He. Will. Be. Killed._

His shroud's image floated around in my mind. I shook my head to clear it.

Percy was saying something. I caught some phrases, and was sure there was a whole lot more, but I wasn't listening. There was a loud ringing in my ears, a ringing as if signifying the end.

"You'll... you'll be killed." _Percy will be killed_. That was the only thing on my mind, the one thing I kept mumbling over and over.

"I'll be fine." Percy assured me. "Besides, we've got no choice."

_Yes, we have! We have a choice. _Even as I kept insisting that to myself, I knew _someone_ had to go back to camp to report what happened. I didn't even know if Grover and Tyson were still alive.

Oh gods.

I _knew_ I shouldn't have led them on this quest.

I stared at Percy. Suddenly, I found myself mentally cursing the Labyrinth. A monster shrieked, and I knew time was ticking.

I leaned forwards and kissed him on the lips.

Time stopped. Percy's wide eyes widened even more, then closed. I breathed in his little Seaweed Brain scent one last time. The noise of the monsters were just in the background.

And I pulled back.

"Be careful, Seaweed Brain." I pulled on my Yankees hat and watched as my image shimmered then disappeared.

_And come back alive. Please, let him come back. Let him make it. Hera, I won't even annoy you any more._

Xxx

He didn't.

Come back, that is. The Ares cabin wanted to burn his shroud earlier, but I waited. He had to come back. I had made _sure _Hephaestus would go get him.

_Come on..._

Days passed. One week. Two weeks.

"...Was very annoying. Prissy didn't know when to stop talking..." Clarisse was saying to the camp. That was her speech for Percy's burial shroud-burning. I wanted to punch her.

But before I could, it was my turn.

I stood up, back-facing the audience, and took a glance at the sea-green shroud. I breathed in, shuddering, and blinked as I turned to face the crowd. I knew I looked terrible. My eyes were probably puffy from crying, and I haven't brushed my hair in days. But I wouldn't know. Mirrors were the last thing on my thoughts.

"Percy... Percy was... well, he was a great friend. Smart, Loyal, Brave. He was probably the bravest friend I've ever had."

There was a lump in my throat. I struggled to swallow it, and took another deep breath.

That was when I saw it.

The mop of messy black hair. The floppy texture, just like Percy's.

_Please tell me he's here._

I paused, slowly willing with my mind for him to turn around. He didn't, and I sagged. It probably wasn't Percy anyways.

"He's..." I opened my mouth to continue, then stopped dead.

He had turned around.

Percy faced me, staring at the microphone in my shaking hands. He glanced up, eyes widening, as he took a few steps forward.

_No. It isn't him. It can't be. He's dead..._

Look at the eyes...

I did. They were green. Sea green. Percy green. It was Percy. He was Percy.

"... He's right there!"

My face was warm. He was here. Percy was here.

The ringing was back in my ears. My heart was thumping, and I was almost afraid it would hop out of my ribcage.

There were murmurs and shocked gasps. I barely noticed them.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" I shrieked, shoving campers out of my way as I launched myself at Percy. For a moment I was afraid my fist would hit his nose, but then my arms closed around his waist and I wanted to scream with laughter as I hugged him. _Oh gods. He was back._

The camp was silent. I thought the ringing in my ears was what blocked out the sound, but then I realized the camp really _was _silent. Everyone was staring at me. And Percy. _Alive_ Percy.

I shoved Percy away. "I – we thought you were dead, Seaweed Brain!"

_Yes, you Seaweed Brain. I thought you were dead._

"I'm sorry." Percy said. His face was red with embarrassment, but for once I didn't feel the urge to tease him. I was delirious with joy. "I got lost."

"LOST?" I yelled. "Two weeks, Percy? Where in the world-"

_YOU WERE GONE FOR TWO WEEKS!_ _DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS?_

Chiron interrupted me, saying something, but I didn't notice. My attention was on Percy, the blushing guy standing awkwardly in the middle of camp with his hands shoved in his pockets and his face streaked with dirt.

_Oh gods. He was back. _I looked at my hands.

Then I looked over at Percy again, smiling for the first time in two weeks.

_Thanks, Aphrodite._


End file.
